1. Overview
Daiki Umei is a Japanese professional footballer who primarily plays as a defender. Born on October 5, 1989, in Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture, Umei has had a extensive career in various Japanese football leagues, including the J1 League, J2 League, J3 League, JFL, and Regional Leagues. He began his professional career with Yokohama F. Marinos and has since played for several clubs, including Thespakusatsu Gunma, Oita Trinita, Zweigen Kanazawa, Saurcos Fukui, Fukushima United FC, SC Sagamihara, Atsugi Hayabusa FC, and currently Sakai Phoenix. Notably, Umei also pursued higher education during his playing career, graduating from Waseda University e-school.
2. Early life and education
Daiki Umei was born on October 5, 1989, in Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture, Japan. His early football development began at Nisshin FC while attending Fukui City Nisshin Elementary School. He continued his youth football journey through Fukui City Fujishima Junior High School from 2002 to 2004, and then Maruoka High School from 2005 to 2007, a notable period that also saw him selected for the Japan High School Selection team for their 2007 European tour. Beyond his athletic pursuits, Umei pursued academic endeavors, enrolling in Waseda University's School of Human Sciences e-school. His admission was publicly announced in February 2009, highlighting his commitment to both his sporting and academic careers.
3. Club career
Daiki Umei's professional football career began in 2008 when he joined Yokohama F. Marinos. After two seasons with Yokohama F. Marinos, he was loaned to Thespa Kusatsu for the 2010 season, where he made his professional league debut. His contract with Yokohama F. Marinos expired in November 2010, and his loan spell with Thespa Kusatsu concluded in December of the same year.
In August 2011, Umei joined Oita Trinita as a trainee, securing a formal contract in September. However, he did not make any appearances for the club and his contract expired at the end of 2011. The following year, in 2012, he joined Zweigen Kanazawa.
Umei then moved to Saurcos Fukui in 2013, where he spent three seasons until 2015. During his time at Saurcos Fukui, he was actively involved in the club's sales activities in addition to his playing duties. In 2016, he made a full transfer to Fukushima United FC.
The year 2017 marked another significant move as Umei transferred to SC Sagamihara, where he played for five seasons. His tenure with SC Sagamihara concluded on December 26, 2021, when his contract expired. In 2022, Umei joined Atsugi Hayabusa FC. As of 2023, he transferred to Sakai Phoenix, where he currently plays.
3.1. Affiliated clubs
Daiki Umei has been affiliated with the following clubs throughout his career:
- Nisshin FC (Youth)
- Fukui City Fujishima Junior High School (2002-2004)
- Maruoka High School (2005-2007)
- Yokohama F. Marinos (2008-2010)
- Thespa Kusatsu (loan) (2010)
- Oita Trinita (September 2011 - December 2011)
- Zweigen Kanazawa (2012)
- Saurcos Fukui (2013-2015)
- Fukushima United FC (2016)
- SC Sagamihara (2017-2021)
- Atsugi Hayabusa FC (2022)
- Sakai Phoenix (2023-present)
4. Club statistics
Updated to March 6, 2023.
| Club performance | League | Emperor's Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||||
| 2008 | Yokohama F. Marinos | J1 League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2010 | Thespa Kusatsu | J2 League | 5 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||
| 2011 | Oita Trinita | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2012 | Zweigen Kanazawa | JFL | 5 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||
| 2013 | Saurcos Fukui | Hokushinetsu Div. 1 | 12 | 1 | - | 2 | 0 | 14 | 1 | |||
| 2014 | 13 | 5 | - | 2 | 0 | 15 | 5 | |||||
| 2015 | 14 | 4 | - | 1 | 0 | 15 | 4 | |||||
| 2016 | Fukushima United FC | J3 League | 19 | 1 | - | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 | |||
| 2017 | SC Sagamihara | 31 | 1 | - | - | 31 | 1 | |||||
| 2018 | 31 | 5 | - | - | 31 | 5 | ||||||
| 2019 | 21 | 0 | - | - | 21 | 0 | ||||||
| 2020 | 23 | 0 | - | - | 23 | 0 | ||||||
| 2021 | J2 | 14 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||||
| 2022 | Atsugi Hayabusa FC | Kanagawa Div. 1 | - | |||||||||
| 2023 | Sakai Phoenix | Hokushinetsu Div. 1 | - | |||||||||
| Total career (J1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total career (J2) | 19 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | 20 | 0 | |||||
| Total career (J3) | 126 | 7 | - | 0 | 0 | 126 | 7 | |||||
| Total career (JFL) | 5 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||||
| Total career (Hokushinetsu Div. 1) | 39 | 10 | - | 5 | 0 | 44 | 10 | |||||
| Total career (Kanagawa Div. 1) | - | |||||||||||
| Career total | 189 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 195 | 17 | ||||
5. National team career
Daiki Umei was selected for the Japan High School Selection team. As part of this team, he participated in a European tour in 2007.
6. Personal life
Beyond his football career, Daiki Umei is known for his academic achievements. He attended and graduated from Waseda University's School of Human Sciences e-school, having been admitted in February 2009. His physical attributes include a height of 76 in (194 cm) and a weight of 194 lb (88 kg). He is also known to be left-footed.
7. Legacy and reception
Information regarding Daiki Umei's specific legacy or public reception is not extensively detailed in the available sources. His career, spanning various tiers of Japanese professional football, demonstrates longevity and adaptability across multiple clubs. While specific accolades or broad public recognition are not highlighted, his consistent presence in the Japanese football scene attests to his professional contribution to the sport.
8. External links
- [https://www.jleague.jp/data/player/Umei-Daiki_9704/ Player profile and statistics at J.League Data Site]
- [https://gekisaka.jp/player/?33401-8771-jp Gekisaka player profile]
- [https://twitter.com/UMEIDAIKI Daiki Umei on Twitter]
- [https://www.facebook.com/daiki.umei Daiki Umei on Facebook]